Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 - Plug Me In! Futuristic Hybrid Cars

Today's ebullient site, from those enthusiastic folks at the Why Files,offers an exhibit exploring everyone's favorite new automotive technology-- hybrid cars. Gentle Subscribers will discover a presentation whichexplores the upside of these new vehicles, while noting any of theirdrawbacks.

"Between the near-record price of crude oil and the warnings about the endof the petroleum age, it's a great time to be hawking hybrid cars. ...Today's hybrid cars are real gas sippers. But plug-in hybrids will havemuch longer all-electric range, use much less energy, and open the door togreater use of solar and wind power!" - from the website

The exhibit's introductory section highlights the main difference betweentoday's hybrid cars and what is expected to be the defining aspect offuture hybrids. Explaining the capabilities of battery driven vehicles, thearticle focuses on the striking fact that electric motors are moreefficient than gasoline engines, thus reducing operating costs. A helpfularray of clarifying diagrams and tables displays the nuts and bolts ofhybrid plug-ins. Revealing how auto manufacturers have done an about-faceon electric cars, some of the challenges of their manufacturing process arebriefly explored. A concluding section speculates on some of theadvantageous spin-offs which may arise from a widespread use of plug-inhybrids.

Wheel over to the site for a noteworthy exhibit on what may become the carof the future at:

Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 - Office of Defects Investigation / Kelly Tires

Office of Defects Investigation (ODI),http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch.cfmIf you're thinking of buying a used car, you might want to check out theOffice of Defects Investigation (ODI), a division of theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On this site, you can file acomplaint, search complaints, search defect investigations and safetyrecalls, read service bulletins and more. To search a recall, just enter theyear make and model of your car. [NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Kelly Tireshttp://www.kellytires.com/auto/tire_school/index.htmlKelly Tires offers a"closer look at how tires function, so you can be confident in your tirepurchase." The lesson is presented in four categories -- terminology, basictraining, safe passage and staying in shape. Basic Training teaches you to"read your tire," which means find all the important information containedon the side (sidewall) of your tire. This includes tire type, width,construction, wheel diameter, load index, speed rating and more. Click on"Safe Passage" and you can download the entire Kelly's Complete Tire SafetyGuide. "Staying in Shape" describes what you should do and what your autoprofessional should do to keep your tires in the best working order.

Adobe Systems opened up Photoshop Express on Thursday, its long-anticipated Web-based image editor aimed at the millions of consumers that want a simple way to touch up, share, and store photos.

Photoshop Express, available for free with 2 gigabytes of storage at http://www.photoshop.com/express, is a significant departure from Adobe’s desktop software business and a big bet that it can make money offering Web services directly to consumers.

Rocketinfo Launches New Version of News Search EngineA online news search pioneer releases some new technology.http://www.rocketnews.com/

From the announcement:Rocketnews.com goes further, working with news seekers to bring them what they are looking for by creating easy to configure, user-defined feeds from a database of over 60,000 sources, and growing…Rocketnews.com introduces the Topic Discovery Engine, which expands a contextual search to include blog posts, photos, video clips and research data, besides an abundance of updated and historical news. The Topic Discovery Engine examines all 60,000 news sources; it collects, analyzes and categorizes news stories; and then updates category pages, topic pages and related RSS feeds. Topic pages, a new feature at Rocketnews.com, highlight popular news topics by displaying related news stories, blog posts, photos and noteworthy quotes.

The dramatic increase in the number of student speech cases involving the digital media begs for a closer examination of the scope of school officials’ authority to censor the expression of minors as well as the scope of juvenile speech rights generally. Permitting schools to restrict student speech in the digital media would necessarily interfere with the free speech rights juveniles enjoy when they are outside the schoolhouse gates. Those scholars who support censorship to protect children do not contend that children fall entirely outside of the First Amendment, but they have argued that they are entitled to lesser or reduced rights. Some point to the line of Court decisions upholding efforts to protect minors from sexually explicit expression as evidence that minors have limited speech rights. Others contend that the theoretical justifications for the First Amendment — the promotion of self-government, the search for truth in the marketplace of ideas, and the fostering of autonomy and self-fulfillment — apply with limited force to minors and warrant reduced protection. Various members of the Court have suggested that the need to defer to school officials outweighs student speech rights due to the need to support parental decision-making, the in loco parentis doctrine, the inherent differences between children and adults, and the so-called special characteristics of the school environment.

This Article takes a close look at all of the various justifications for limiting juvenile speech rights and concludes that none of them supports granting schools broad authority to limiting student speech in the digital media, even with respect to violent or harassing expression. Furthermore, this Article argues the tests that most courts and commentators have applied to determine whether student speech falls within a school’s authority to act grant schools far too much authority to restrict juvenile speech rights in general. Even the application of Tinker’s material disruption test is troubling because that standard was never designed to deal with digital expression. The Article concludes the primary approach that schools should take to most digital speech is not to punish or restrict such expression, but instead to educate their students about how to use digital media responsibly.

NOAA's National Ocean Serviceis launching today a new multimedia elementary educational program, Nautical Charts, at the annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association in Boston.

Designed in cooperation with NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey for students at the third through fifth grade level, the media rich activity teaches young people about charting and navigation. Nautical Charts is available online at http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/nautical_charts/.

The activity uses animation to teach chart symbols, safe boating, and why nautical charts are important. Students have access to movies, sounds, pictures, and links to other resources. This activity uses the same characters and methodology employed in a similar multimedia tool, Sea Floor Mapping, launched last year online at http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education_new/seafloor-mapping/welcome.html.

GreenFILE, a freely accessible research database focusing on the relationship between human beings and the environment, with well-researched but accessible information on topics ranging from global warming to recycling to alternate fuel sources and beyond. Comprised of scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports, GreenFILE offers a unique perspective on the positive and negative ways humans affect the ecology. Drawing on the connection between the environment and disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology, GreenFILE will serve as an informative resource for anyone concerned about the issues facing our planet. GreenFILE’s initial release will include A&I for more than 600 titles, including comprehensive coverage “from to volume 1, issue 1 to present” for Bioscience (back to 1964), Conservation Biology (back to 1987), Journal of Ecology (back to 1913) and Journal of Environmental Planning & Management (back to 1948). The total number of records is approximately 295,000, and full text is provided for more than 4,600 records from open access titles.Note: Be sure to set a bookmark for http://www.greeninfoonline.com/. This link takes you directly to the GreenFILE

(LISTA) Library, Information Science & Technology Abstractshttp://www.libraryresearch.com/EBSCO Publishing is proud to provide the Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) database as a free resource to anyone interested in libraries and information management. This world-class bibliographic database provides coverage on subjects such as librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more. Delivered via the EBSCOhost platform, LISTA indexes nearly 600 periodicals plus books, research reports, and proceedings. With coverage dating back to the mid-1960s, it is the oldest continuously produced database covering the field of information science.

(TRC)Teacher Reference Centerhttp://www.TeacherReference.com/Teacher Reference Center (TRC)This index of over 260 titles from the most popular teacher and administrator trade journals, periodicals, and books is now also offered free via the EBSCOhost platform. This database provides coverage on key education topics such as Assessment, Continuing Education, Current Pedagogical Research, Curriculum Development, Instructional Media, Language Arts, Literacy Standards, Science & Mathematics, and more for K-12 Teachers & Librarians.

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AOL Autos Launches Largest Site for U.S. Used Car ListingsFrom the announcement:

AOL Autos, http://autos.aol.com/, today announced an open marketplace for used cars, providing car buyers with access to more than 2.5 million vehicles for sale in the United States and a new set of search and filter tools to more easily find a car that fits their needs.

The AOL Autos used car marketplace features a new intuitive search function that enables users to search for used, certified pre-owned, and private-seller listed cars using natural language queries (e.g., black Honda Civic). Users can filter results based on make, model, price, body style and more, resulting in more relevant listings.

In the coming months, additional enhancements to the site will include Spanish language listings, video listings and more posting services for sellers.

Tired of drudging through headline after headline to stay informed?Stevesie News makes it easy to stay up-to-date with the world.Created by Cornell Undergraduate student Steve Spagnola, Stevesiefinds live news from hundreds of sources across the web. Next, anartificial brain comprehends the most recent headlines to decidewhat's important and how different news stories relate to oneanother.

Stevesie's artificial brain mimics how our brains store and retrievememories, constructing an associative network of news and keywordrelations. The result of all this complicated-sounding work is a greatway to experience the news.

How Stevesie WorksStevesie effectively presents the news through buzzwords, pictures,and related topics, not just the headlines. Command your newsexperience with the instant search feature; just start typing to seewhat's going on in the world. Surf through the news by related topicsto see the trends unfold.

Stevesie also presents a superior variety of headlines for each topicby not just concentrating on breaking stories.

Said Spagnola, "Stevesie News is based on a new form of artificialintelligence that models biological behavior in our brains. Ipersonally wrote everything during my spare time at an internship inSilicon Valley this summer. I hope folks enjoy Stevesie and lookforward to feedback for how to improve it.

Fri., Aug. 15, 2008 - Education Podcast Network

Education Podcast Networkhttp://www.epnweb.org/From the site:“The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.”

Fri., Aug. 15, 2008 - Science Cartoons

Today's site features the whimsical world of science cartoonist SidneyHarris. Gentle Subscribers, even without a science degree, may find hispiquant sense of humor entertaining and amusing.

"For years, the cartoons of S. Harris have added humor to innumerablemagazines, books, newsletters, ads and web sites." - from the website

This collection includes cartoons in more than twenty-five categories, fromastronomy to sociology. No scientific discipline is immune to Harris's keenwit as he pokes fun at the search for extraterrestrial life in deep spaceand the chemical wizards busy turning petroleum into food products and viceversa. Science, however, is not the only target of Harris's barbs. Thearts, too, come in for some subtle prodding, as Harris throws darts atliterature, law and government.

Slip over to the site for a diverting browse through the witty world ofSidney Harris at:

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson investigates whether a "doomsday asteroid" the size of the Rose Bowl will hit the earth in 2036, and explores what the consequences could be -- and what steps NASA could take to avoid this catastrophe. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/[NOTE: See guide pasted below – Phyllis ]

Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts segments about epigenetics; a story about a sculpture on the CIA campus; a discovery about T-Rex by housewife-turned-scientist Mary Schweitzer; and a profile of Arlie Petters, who holds a joint appointment in math and physics at Duke University. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/[NOTE: See guide pasted below. – Phyllis ]

Based on the best-seller Illicit by Moises Naim, this film tracks the manufacture and sale of goods ranging from fake purses and DVDs to counterfeit pharmaceuticals that can have a devastating impact on human beings, showing how the even most innocuous trades are connected in a global epidemic generating $3 trillion per year and unimagined human suffering. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)http://www.pbs.org/illicit/

NOVA Presents NOVA scienceNOWRebroadcast: Wednesday, August 20, 2008http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow(NOVA scienceNOW airs on PBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Check your locallistings as broadcast dates and times may vary. This program can beused up to one year after it is recorded off the air.)

On Wednesday, tune-in at 8 p.m. for two repeat episodes of NOVAscienceNOW.

The first hour considers the threat of an asteroid named Apophishitting Earth, reports on scientists' efforts to add to the PeriodicTable of the Elements, explores the biology of obesity, and takes alook at one innovative engineer who is a roboticist by day andfiction writer by night. (Subjects covered: chemistry, healthscience, space science)

The second hour, starting at 9 p.m., takes a look at epigenetics,examines preserved soft tissue in dinosaur fossils, explores thecoded structure, Kryptos, and interviews a world-class mathematicianand cosmologist from a rural village in Belize. (Subjects covered:life science, mathematics, paleontology, physics,technology/engineering)

The Asteroid That Hit L.A. Try out three "what if" scenarios with our catastrophe calculator and discover the likelihood and potential effects of any of three sizes of asteroids impacting Earth. (Flash plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Keeping the Weight Off Learn about the role of genetics in obesity, why it is harder to keep weight off than to lose it, the role the hormone leptin may play in keeping lost weight off, and more in this interview with Dr. Michael Rosenbaum of Columbia University. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

On the Nature of Being Karl Iagnemma Read about what draws this young MIT researcher to both engineering and fiction writing, and find out how he balances his life among science, writing, and family. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert Karl Iagnemma answers viewer questions about his life and work. (Grades 6-8, 9-12).

Also Teacher's Guides, Links and Books, program transcripts, and more.

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NOVA Presents "NOVA scienceNOW"Rebroadcast: Wednesday, August 20, 2008http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow(NOVA scienceNOW airs on PBS at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Check your locallistings as broadcast dates and times may vary. This program can beused up to one year after it is recorded off the air.)

Inside the Bones See in this slide show what Mary Schweitzer's team found within the primordial remains of everything from a mammoth to a Triceratops. (Flash plug-in required; printable version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert Paleontologist Mary Schweitzer answers viewer questions about the preservation of soft tissues in ancient fossils and its implications for researchers. (Grades 9-12)

A Tale of Two Mice Hear in this audo slide show how the epigenome can make identical-twin mice appear so different. (Flash plug-in required; printable version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert Randy Jirtle, a geneticist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Duke, answers viewer questions about epigenetics and how our lifestyles might affect the health of our children and even grandchildren. (Grades 9-12)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 - The Biology Project

The Biology Projecthttp://www.biology.arizona.edu/From the site:“Welcome to The Biology Project, an interactive online resource for learning biology developed at The University of Arizona. The Biology Project is fun, richly illustrated, and tested on 1000s of students.”

Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 - The Biology Place

The Biology Placehttp://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/“From Pearson Prentice Hall educational publishers, this new web portalgives high school and college students free access to a multitude ofbiology resources and tutorials that work with all textbooks. There arethree interactive sections: BioCoach, LabBench and Glossary. TheBioCoach allows students to "visualize and apply their understanding ofbiological concepts. During these practice activities, studentsmanipulate graphs, complete biological puzzles, and answer questions."The LabBench provides students with pre- and post-lab reviews.Animations and interactive questions connect laboratory procedures tobiological principles. Designed for advanced students, these activitiescorrespond to the AP Lab Manual and include sections on key concepts,experiment design, analysis of results, as well as a lab quiz. TheGlossary is a comprehensive, online, easily accessible listing ofdefinitions of the key biological concepts and terms introductorystudents are likely to encounter.”

Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorderhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/posttraumaticstressdisorder.htmlShortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/578f3x>From the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, this site provides resources for dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Events that might cause PTSD include rape, physical abuse, an airplane or car crash, war or others. For most people, PTSD starts about three months after the event. However, sometimes signs of PTSD show up years later. PTSD can happen to anyone, even children.

Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 - The Charlie Rose Science Series

The Charlie Rose Science Serieshttp://www.pfizer.com/think/episodeslist.jspWatch all hour-long episodes on streaming videoFrom the site:“The Charlie Rose Science Series is an exploration of the advances being made in scientific research, their contribution to our understanding of the world around us, and how these breakthroughs may be applied to improving human health.

“Over the course of the series, twelve episodes aired on Charlie Rose featuring distinguished scientists and guests. Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate and President of Rockefeller University, joined Charlie Rose as co-host of the series.

“As the world leader in biomedical research and development, we are committed to increasing public understanding of science and science education.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

NOVA: What's up with the Weather?http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/From the site:“The overwhelming majority of scientists agree: earth's temperature has risen during the past century. But is it due to man's use of fossil fuel energy? And if so, how can we prevent the catastrophic results that some scientists predict if global warming continues?” [NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Tues., Aug. 12, 2008 - JetStream: the National Weather Service Online Weather School

From the site:“Welcome to JetStream, the National Weather Service Online Weather School. This site is designed to help educators, emergency managers, or anyone interested in learning about weather and weather safety.

“The information contained in JetStream is arranged by subject; beginning with global and large scale weather patterns followed by lessons on air masses, wind patterns, cloud formations, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging winds, tornados, tropical storms, cyclones and flooding. Interspersed in JetStream are "Learning Lessons" which can be used to enhance the educational experience.”

Monday, August 11, 2008

Mon., Aug. 11, 2008 - Unit Converter

Mon., Aug. 11, 2008 - MathMovesU

MathMovesUhttp://www.mathmovesu.com/From the site:“Raytheon's MathMovesU is an innovative program designed to engage middle school students with math at an age when their interest in the subject typically declines. Raytheon believes that tomorrow's engineers and technologists need to be excited by and interested in math today.

At MathMovesU.com, middle school students can enter a "virtual world" of math and engage with games, polls, flash cards, word problems, and factoids all centered on their passions: music, sports, and fashion… The MathMovesUniversity section of the site features a glossary of math terms and a large number of hands-on worksheets for students looking for additional help and support.”

May have to register. Then select a character, grade level, and indicate girl or boy. Click save

ClickSchooler MaryAnna discovered this website that offers FREE math lessonsand activities for grades K-12 that are themed around ocean tidepools.

When you get to the website you can choose between a Tidepool MathCurriculum for Grades K-8 or High School.

K-8 - This curriculum provides lessons and exercises to help students becomefamiliar with tidepool habitats. Students use math skills such as counting,estimation, and determining the mean, to learn how the intertidalenvironment constantly changes both physically and biologically.

High School - This curriculum is divided into three parts with lessons andexercises that use science and math to provide the student with increasedawareness of the diversity of animals and plants in intertidal habitats. Ithelps students understand the differences between random, systematic andtargeted sampling approaches as well as comparing estimates, counts, andmeans. Through the activities, students gain understanding of how to usesimple statistical concepts and tools to analyze and study environmentaldata.

Both of the curriculums are offered through downloadable PDFs. The exercisesrefer to photos of tidepools and marine animals and plants that are providedfor free on the website as well.

You can also download and print out colorful flash cards of marine animalsand plants. Each card has a terrific illustration on the front, withscientific information and cool facts on the back - similar to what you'dfind in a field guide.

While this curriculum is interesting and engaging all on its own - a trip tothe beach or an aquarium with a tidepool exhibit would be a great way toenhance the learning.

21st Century Literacieshttp://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/21stcent/information.htmlAT&T and UCLA have developed a Website with individual lessons focusing on aspects of essential research skills including questioning, identifying/collecting, evaluating, sensemaking, reflecting/refining, using information and assessing the final product.

21st Century Information Fluencyhttp://21cif.imsa.edu/rkit/newRkit/gettingstarted.htmlThe staff members at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, including UW-Stout online instructor Dennis O’Connor, have developed free tools, games, and tutorials to help students effectively locate, use and evaluate digital information. Try the excellent “Getting Started” page for “mini lessons” on such topics as “Thinking Outside the Search Box.”

Sun., Aug. 10, 2008 - The Credibles (Can we trust what we read on the net?)

The Credibleshttp://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/00446/From Thinkquest:“Information on the internet is of varying quality, ranging from the trustworthy to the outright false. Our site guides readers in assessing the credibility of information they encounter on the internet. Issues such as the legitimacy of online information, censorship, and the use of the internet to spread sensational stories, are explored.”“can we trust what we read on the net?”

According to a 1997 statistical summary of public Web usage, in 1993, the approximately 1.3 million computer users with an Internet connection could visit a grand total of 130 Web sites. Most of those sites were developed and maintained by universities and government agencies.

Slightly more than ten years later, online visitors can choose from hundreds of millions of Web pages -- at sites created by experts, pseudo-experts, enthusiasts, fanatics, and the just plain ignorant. Today's Web surfers are presented with choices that early denizens of the Internet barely dreamed of.

For many educators, however, that dream has become a nightmare. With so many exemplary resources -- and so much artfully packaged trash…” <<>>

ilike2learnhttp://www.ilike2learn.com/So, how much do you know about geography? Try to locate some of these countries and states on the maps and find out.[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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Read The Wordshttp://readthewords.com/a free online service that will allow you to upload English, French or Spanish text, in Word or PDF or HTML, and have it read aloud to you, or made available as a download for your MP3 player.[NOTE: Free registration is required. – Phyllis ]